1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to a novel tool useful in tournament darts and other games using thrown darts. More specifically, this invention provides, in one tool, efficiently combined, a dart tool assisting many useful elements and functions, e.g., extracting a broken dart tip from a dart target; adjusting a dart assembly having a flight shaft, a barrel, and a dart tip; tightening or loosening a threaded connection between a dart tip and a dart barrel, tightening or loosening a threaded connection between a flight shaft and a dart barrel, loosening a flight lock of the dart, tightening the flight lock, even efficiently also combining useful elements, functions and abilities like keychain attachment, bottle-opening, and providing advertising areas.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Tournament darts and other games using thrown darts provide competition, recreation, and enjoyment for countless players. A typical dart used in such games has four main parts aligned along a longitudinal axis of the dart. A pointed dart tip, often made of a hard but bendable plastic, is affixed to a barrel, usually by threaded connection, so that the dart tip extends forwardly from the front end of the barrel. A flight shaft extends rearwardly from the rear end of the barrel and the flight shaft is connected to the barrel at a threaded connection. There is a flight lock at the rear end of the flight shaft. A cross-shaped flight is mounted in the flight lock. Typically, the flight lock has a conical portion with a smaller end rearward and a larger end forward and with four bendable prongs defining a cross-shaped slot opening at the smaller end. The cross-shaped flight is pressed into the cross-shaped slot, in which the flight is retained by the prongs. Typically, the flight is made of lightweight, reinforced fabric, foil or polymeric film. Thus, the flight is a wearable part, which needs to be occasionally replaced.
Also typically, the flight shaft has within it a transverse hole, into which, for example, a pin is insertable. This pin and flight shaft may then be held against rotation while the barrel is rotated about the axis of the dart, or vice versa, to tighten or loosen the threaded connection between the flight shaft and the barrel. It is a known practice to use the tip of a second dart as the pin. Such a practice is not recommended, however, since it creates a risk of bending the tip of the second dart. Also typically, a knife blade or similar tool is used to open the flight lock. Such tool is used to spread the bendable prongs sufficiently for the cross-shaped flight to be easily pressed into the cross-shaped slot yet retained securely therein by the bendable prongs. If the flight lock has been opened too far, the cross-shaped flight is not retained securely in the cross-shaped slot. It then is necessary to press the bendable prongs so as to close the flight lock. However, it is difficult to do so without twisting the bendable prongs, as may occur if a pair of pliers or similar tool is used.
Also typically, The shaft of the dart tip contains, exposed near its threaded connection to the barrel, opposed flat portions to assist in holding the dart tip while rotating the barrel along its axis, or vice versa, to tighten or loosen the threaded connection between the barrel and the dart tip. Although these opposed flat portions may commonly assist gripping with hand or pliers, it is difficult to grasp and hold the small dimensions of a commonly smooth and slippery dart tip without injury to the dart tip.
Also typically, a dart tip frequently breaks when thrown into a dart target, and the broken dart tip portion embedded in the target is difficult to remove in that it is difficult to grasp the broken dart tip to pull it out and the attempt to do so using, for example, a pocket knife, may easily result in injury to the dart target and/or to the knife wielder.
Prior attempts to design a dart tool to assist the user in overcoming the above-mentioned problems have resulted in operational insufficiencies, and new problems, and multiplicities of tools and parts, and inefficiencies of cost and quality. For example, recent attempts at replacing the pocket knife function of loosening the flight locks of a dart have not eliminated the dangers inherent in the exposed edges of such knives, and there has been no attention at all paid by dart tool designers to most of the other problems above mentioned.
Thus, for a considerable time period there has existed a need, to which the present invention is addressed, for a unitary, pocket-sized dart tool having multiple elements and functions for addressing the above-mentioned and other problems in an efficient, safe, cost-effective, combinatorial, creative, and operational manner.